Marc Michel-Amadry has been appointed as the new Managing Director of Girard-Perregaux. Born in La Chaux-de-Fonds to a family of watchmakers, he joined IWC after a long career in the luxury industry, where he served as Chief Commercial Officer before taking up his current position in March of this year.
Text by Masayuki Hirota (Chronos-Japan)
Edited by Yukiya Suzuki (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published in the July 2025 issue of Kronos Japan]
We don't just specialize in the Laureato.
Managing Director of Girard-Perregaux. Born in Switzerland in 1970. After graduating from HEC Lausanne, he worked for TAG Heuer and the LVMH Group before joining Ebel. He later served as Chief Commercial Officer at IWC. He will assume his current position from March 2025.
"I had known Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of the Sowind Group, for some time. The first watch I bought for myself was a Girard-Perregaux WW TC. Above all, I have respected Girard-Perregaux since I was a child as a prestigious brand from La Chaux-de-Fonds, where I was born and raised. So it was perhaps a natural progression for me to join."
So how does Michel Amadry intend to lead Girard-Perregaux?
"The brand has been around for 234 years, and the first goal is to make its history and watchmaking expertise more widely known. This means furthering Haute Horlogerie and purity. Girard-Perregaux has been a driving force behind the resurgence of high-end mechanical watchmaking since the 1990s, and we are a true manufacture. But we also have a pure, timeless beauty."
The Legacy Edition revives an iconic Girard-Perregaux model. Following on from the Casquette, this second release is a revival of the 1969 diver's watch, the 9108 Deep Diver. However, rather than simply being a reissue, the new model is a collaboration with British watchmaker Bamford. Automatic movement (Cal. GP03300). 27 jewels. 28,800 vph. Power reserve approximately 46 hours. Titanium case (40.30mm x 38.00mm, 13.91mm thick). Water resistant to 200m. Limited to 350 pieces worldwide. Priced at 2,134,000 yen (tax included).
The company has gained worldwide popularity with the Laureato, but what will its product lineup be like in the future?
"One thing I can say is that the Laureato is not the only thing we are good at. We have diversity and we have great movements. As proof of this, we will be releasing other models in the future," he added, pointing out another challenge.
"The Laureato is a wonderful watch, but in the future, we would like to offer other models that customers can choose from." This is certainly true, and above the basic models, Girard-Perregaux's lineup is dominated by expensive haute horlogerie. In order to increase user options, the product lineup seems to be somewhat biased. "Girard-Perregaux is a manufacture, so we can make anything." Although he did not state it explicitly, it seems likely that they will be focusing on the mid-price range (which will still be expensive) in the future.
Finally, Michel Amadry emphasized the Osaka boutique, the main purpose of his visit to Japan: "The boutique is a place where customers can experience our philosophy and enjoy spending meaningful time. It goes without saying that Girard-Perregaux is a wonderful brand, but I think we need to explain more to our customers. The boutique is the stage where they can experience this."
